This Broccoli Cheddar Soup is the perfect cozy lunch on a cold day. It’s rich, creamy, and loaded with tender broccoli that balances nicely with the tangy sharp cheddar.

Whenever I feel a slight chill in the air, you bet I’m making this broccoli cheddar soup. It really feels like a warm hug in a bowl.

I’ve never tried the broccoli cheddar soup from Panera Bread before, but I grew up eating my mom’s broccoli soup. This recipe is inspired by the soup from my childhood with an updated twist. It’s delicious and takes less than 40 minutes to make from start to finish.

Table of Contents

Broccoli cheddar soup ingredients

Butter: Butter adds great flavor to this soup. I use unsalted butter to limit the sodium.

Yellow onion, celery, and garlic: This adds a good flavor base to the soup.

Dijon mustard, salt, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper: I find that most broccoli cheddar soups taste bland.

I like to add a little Dijon mustard and smoked paprika to give this soup good flavor. You can also add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a kick of heat.

Flour: The flour and butter help create a roux to thicken the soup while providing good flavor.

Vegetable broth: I use Better Than Boullion Seasoned Vegetable Base. You can use store-bought or homemade.

Broccoli: I like to finely chop the broccoli so you can enjoy the tender broccoli in every spoonful of soup.

Carrot: I like to julienne my carrots or use a matchstick peeler. Due to their small size, they’ll cook fast. Plus, it looks good in the soup.

Milk: I use whole milk because that’s usually what I have in my fridge, but you can use fat free milk or unsweetened almond milk if you prefer. It will be a little thinner but still taste amazing.

Cheese: I use freshly grated sharp cheddar because it adds more flavor to the soup than mild cheddar. You can use a mix of mild and sharp if you prefer.

Nutmeg: This is a classic addition to béchamel, which adds a subtle nutty and sweet flavor. It’s optional, so you can leave it out if you don’t like the taste of nutmeg.

How to make broccoli cheddar soup

Sauté the veggies. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and celery, and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the veggies have softened.

Add the garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, smoked paprika, a pinch of cayenne pepper (if using), and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Let cook for 1 minute.

Make the roux. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 2 minutes, until golden brown.

Let the soup simmer. Stir in the vegetable broth, broccoli, and carrots. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Let simmer, stirring occasionally for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender.

If you prefer a smoother, less chunky soup, use an immersion blender to partially puree the soup. Or you can transfer 1 to 2 cups of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth.

Stir in the milk and cheese. Remove the pot from the heat and add the milk, shredded cheese, and nutmeg (if using). Stir until the cheese has melted and the soup is creamy.

Season to taste with more salt or black pepper. Serve topped with more shredded cheese, croutons, or a side of crusty bread for dipping.

Tips for making broccoli cheddar soup

Finely chop the broccoli. The broccoli will cook faster, and you’ll get a little bit in every bite when you finely chop it into small pieces.

You can also save time by adding the broccoli to a food processor and pulsing it a few times to finely chop it.

Use freshly grated cheese. Avoid using pre-shredded cheese to make this soup. Store-bought shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that act as a preservative. This can make the texture of the soup gritty and unpleasant.

Instead, buy a brick of cheese and use a box grater to shred it yourself.

Use a blender or immersion blender to make the soup creamier. I normally don’t blend this soup, but if you want it creamier or prefer a smoother texture, take out 1 to 2 cups of soup and blend it until smooth before adding the shredded cheese.

Or you can use an immersion blender to blend part of the soup briefly until you’ve reached your desired consistency.

Add the cheese slowly. It’s important to remove the pot from the heat or have the heat turned down to the lowest setting before adding the shredded cheese. This gives the soup enough heat to melt the cheese without it curdling or separating.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

Make-Ahead Instructions. You can make this soup up to 3 days in advance and store it in the fridge in an airtight container.

How to reheat leftovers. You can reheat the soup in a saucepan over medium-low heat on the stovetop. Stir the soup occasionally until warmed through.

Make sure to heat the soup up slowly, otherwise the soup can separate and get a gritty texture. Avoid using the microwave to reheat the soup.

Please let me know how you like this Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe in the comments below! Your feedback and review encourages me to keep creating new and yummy recipes. I hope you love this soup as much as I do.